w they were nearing the place where the valley of Acherusia
opened on the world of the living. Orpheus looked on the blue of the
sky. A white-winged bird flew by. Orpheus turned around and cried, "O
Eurydice, look upon the world that I have won you back to!"

He turned to say this to her. He saw her with her long dark hair and
pale face. He held out his arms to clasp her. But in that instant she
slipped back into the depths of the valley. And all he heard spoken was
a single word, "Farewell!" Long, long had it taken Eurydice to climb so
far, but in the moment of his turning around she had fallen back to her
place amongst the dead.

Down through the valley of Acherusia Orpheus went again. Again he came
before the watchers of the gate. But now he was not looked at nor
listened to, and, hopeless, he had to return to the world of the living.

The birds were his friends now, and the trees and the stones. The birds
flew around him and mourned with him; the trees and stones often
followed him, moved by the music of his lyre. But a savage band slew
Orpheus and threw his severed head and his lyre into the River Hebrus.
It is said by the poets that while they floated in midstream the lyre
gave out some mournful notes and the head of Orpheus answered the notes
with song.

And now that he was no longer to be counted with the living, Orpheus
went down to the world of the dead, not going now by that steep descent
through the valley of Acherusia, but going down straightway. The silent
watchers let him pass, and he went amongst the dead and saw his
Eurydice in the throng. Again they were together, Orpheus and Eurydice,
and as they went through the place that King Aidoneus ruled over, they
had no fear of looking back, one upon the other.

VII. JASON AND MEDEA

Jason and Medea, unable to win to Iolcus, staved at Corinth, at the
court of King Creon. Creon was proud to have Jason in his city, but of
Medea the king was fearful, for he had heard how she had brought about
the death of Apsyrtus, her brother.

Medea wearied of this long waiting in the palace of King Creon. A
longing came upon her to exercise her powers of enchantment. She did
not forget what Queen Arete had said to her--that if she wished to
appease the wrath of the gods she should have no more to do with
enchantments. She did not forget this, but still there grew in her a
longing to use all her powers of enchantment.

And Jason, at the court of King Creon, had his